Blast-related Mild Traumatic Brain Injury is Associated with a Decline in Self-Rated Health Amongst US Military Personnel.

摘要

Aims: The primary aim of this study was to determine the effect of combat-related mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) on self-reported health status after return from deployment. Additionally, we examined predictors of a decline in self-reported health status among US service members with MTBI compared with other minor non-TBI controls injured in Iraq. Design: Retrospective cohort study Participants: Cases and controls were chosen from 1,129 male, US service members with blast-induced mild to moderate injuries from March 2004 to March 2008 and were identified from the US Expeditionary Medical Encounter Database. Measures: Self-rated health was measured through the routine administration of pre- and post-deployment health assessment questionnaires and was assessed by, "Overall, how would you rate your health, during the past month"? Self-rated health outcomes were classified by subtracting the pre-injury from the post-injury level of health rating (ie, very good fair). Results: Overall, post-injury levels of self-rated health were significantly worse than pre-injury health rating. At 6 months' post-injury, service members with MTBI were four times more likely to report a two-level decrease in health compared to those with other mild injuries. The association was independent of covariates. Conclusions: Blast-induced injuries, specifically MTBI, during deployment have negative consequences on service members' perception of health.